Italy Tour Reviews — 301 to 330 of 686

While the touring each day was beautiful, the most memorable part of the trip were the evening meals. Chefs Sylvia and Irena delighted us all with outstanding dishes featuring local ingredients and recipes. A gourmet bike tour!

Very well organised trip - the tour guides Silvia & Francesco were outstanding. Full of life, informative and funny.
The boat , Ave Maria, was very comfortable and well set out.
The bikes were excellent - we had electric ones.
The scenery, countryside and towns were lovely.

The food was outstanding! Great chefs. Amazing how hard our small crew worked to provide everything needed. All ran smoothly. Michaela was an outstanding leader. We were disappointed in the lack of coordination between the leader and the bikers as we ride. Corners were not posted at turns; some ended up going the wrong way, and we spent time finding them. Fortunately one person in the “lost” group was able to call our leader. There should always be arrangements for a “sweep” with phone communication to the guide.
Coming home, the pack with the trip literature was stolen. I would like to get another copy of that excellent information. How?

With the exception of the room, which could be a bit larger, and Wi-Fi, which could be stronger and steadier, everything else of the tour was outmost enjoyable: the route and rides, the equipment, the food, the guide, the people in the group.

Passeio excelente, com ciclovias bem pavimentadas e bem seguras. Um lugar mais belo que o outro. Hotéis de quatro estrelas, mas de primeira categoria.

All the trip was memorable. Starting in Pallazolo Acreid, where we saw a unique demontration of the christian faith, on the main church. The next city, Modica is a quiet village, so nice. The biking was allways on the road, with cars besides. No problem, because the traffic was ease. The two most beautiful cities are Noto and, of course, Syracuse; the Archimede’s city. Dont miss the visit to Archimedes museum and the Neapolis, the ancient city of Syracuse.

The food on the trip was excellent. We enjoyed the local fare, the wine pairings from the various regions .
The crew work very hard to deliver a positive experience . Helmut was a great guide offering lots of information about the different places we stopped at. We loved the cheese factory tour and tasting

The secondary roads and the fabulous landscapes

Seeing Italy from a closer perspective than on most tours.

Bikes worked well, and the food and tour guides were excellent

The most memorable part of the trip for me was riding our bikes in the country between towns. We were able to see the crops in the fields, and the beautiful countryside dotted with houses and the green vegetation of spring. We were in Italy in early May and the weather was perfect - not too warm but not cold either. A particular highlight was riding along a canal and seeing the Ave Maria ahead of us. We speeded up, of course so that we could pass the boat, greeting the captain as we rode by. He responded by honking the horn and putting music on the loudspeaker for us to enjoy. The food was another highlight of the trip. We had fantastic, filling breakfasts, and delicious traditional Italian food for dinner each night. The chefs explained the courses, and where the recipes originated. We were able to nourish our minds and bodies together. Our group was immediately cohesive, and we had lively entertainment every night from card games to karaoke singing. The trip was one of the best I have ever experienced, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience biking in Europe.

The 6 member crew of the Ava Maria was fantastic. Food was excellent and the barge accommodations were very nice. I was in a deluxe cabin with a window that opened and the cabin was very spacious and the water pressure in the shower was great and the beds were very comfy. TripSite stated we would be provided with a water bottle for our bikes but we were not which was difficult because a standard bottle of water would not fit in the bottle holder on the bike. WiFi only works in the main dining room which was OK. Bikes are in great condition and the bike guides (Helmut and Alex) were great. There is a fair amount of street riding with some traffic but the guides keep you safe. No diet coke on the boat but they allowed us to bring on our own soda.

Biking out of Venice was unforgettable.

The Agrotourism tastings. They were with local farmers, bakers and they all greeted us with such warmth and hospitality.

The old cities of Lecce, Otranto and Gallipoli impressed me the most.

In regards to hotels, the one in Lecce was Unsufficient, contrary to the rest of the hotels which were very good.

The guide was outstanding... With a lot of knowhow, patience and very friendly

What a wonderful mix of larger cities and small villages and towns that we would never have been able to locate on our own . An opportunity to enjoy both Venice and all its treasures while staying on the barge in beautiful, quiet Giudecca with it's charm of churches and artisan craftmanship . The biking along the Po River nature reserve was beautiful and a reminder of how important it is to care for our environment. Mantova along with other stops were charming with guides who shared their expertise of cities. The guides and staff on the Ava Maria did an admirable job of following the itinerary and keeping everyone safe, The chefs and dining staff served Italian local dinners that were the best I have eaten and a breakfast that appealed to all. Despite Italy being in a heat wave we were still able to enjoy the beauty of Italy.

Biking along the river and the built in tours of the trip.

We enjoyed everything about the tour! Our group was very international representative of Italy, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, and Germany. Our guide was Giorgio. He was knowledgeable about the area and it’s history and took us on many side trips including a gastronomic experience at a local cheese factory.
After biking all day we returned to a fresh snack and of course an outstanding meal at dinner made by our exceptional cook who greeted us every evening with a heartfelt Buona sera! We felt the crew did an outstanding job and were always willing to help with any given situation. Great job everybody!
Thank you all!
Jean and Brian Mearon

Making it up the hills. Make sure to pack extra water and snacks for yourself

Fantastic group of riders from all over the world..ride from Lecce to Otranto was simply the best
Breakfast and dinners were very well organized
Would like to have seen more snacks during the day and more visits bt the support van
Should also consider an additional guide for the back of the group…cycling pace was very slow at times

The boat breaking down (and the way the crew accommodated the changes).

This tour is absolutely gorgeous! Great biking all the way, beautiful scenery and tons of history. Highly recommended!

The routes were good and the right length each day. I would have like to have received the route information details in advance as requested so that stops could have been planned. We received the route details only a few days prior to the trip. In addition the GSP provides was somewhat difficult to use and didn’t always provide good directions. Ended up using my cellphone GSP which provided better directions. Without the cellphone we would have wasted much more time with the GPS provided. Upgrading to a newer GPS is needed.

Had a wonderful time cycling the Florence to Rome self guided tour. Stayed in beautiful little historic towns along the way with lots to see and do. The food and wines were absolutely delicious. The hotels were friendly, accommodating and provided a great breakfast to start the day. Most importantly, the navigation app was easy to use and provided worry free navigation while cycling through bike friendly routes.

Wonderful trip cycling. The Ave Maria crew were friendly, helpful, and clearly worked well as a team. The bikes were well maintained and rode smoothly.
Some communication with the TripSite org (most notably the portion before the Barge part of the trip) could have been better but overall it was a fun and enjoyable adventure.

Dinner together on the barge and riding as a group

I most enjoyed the first three rides of the tour from Bolzano to Mantova, the scenery was amazing.

I felt we were treated as valued guests both out on the bike rides and on the barge. Food and ride leaders were excellent.
Would like the option of paper guides for the Bolzano to Mantova part as we did get off course a few times, especially finding the ferry in Riva. Overall, a wonderful experience.

Hotels were pleasant. Well organized tour.

Overall very enjoyable. There was however a big discrepancy between some of the accommodation eg Neptune Hotel was superb while the hotel in Porec didn’t have an elevator. Some of the bedrooms were very spacious and others were very very cramped.

Enjoyed everyone on the boat, great staff and food. Good bikes, some of the paths and roads were a bit on the rough side.